All of us know how long it takes, to the minute, to reach our local crag. We’ve slept in the dirt at J-Tree, in gîtes in Argentière and on the couches of countless climbing partners in between. When we look at a doorjamb, we see a pull-up bar. We know how to tape our hands and fingers in the morning, and how to repair the damage with superglue at night. We’ve run out of water, watched the sun set from the top of a spire, hiked out in the dark and never felt happier.

We know these things because we’re climbers, and being a climber is about more than just climbing. Beyond crimps and laybacks and hand jams, climbing is a passion that shapes the bodies, minds and lives of an entire community. Driven by something far deeper than simply making the crux move, the climbing life encompasses everything that happens before tying in and after topping out. It is training, travel and the kind of friendships forged over unplanned bivys and campfire beers.

At Black Diamond, we believe our gear can be a catalyst for this global culture of climbing, from working 5.14 moves on the Dawn Wall in Yosemite to the thousands of new climbers experiencing the sport for the first time in a gym. It’s this dedication that will continue to fuel our approach to creating Black Diamond gear: using, designing, engineering and building equipment and apparel for the climbing life.

19 Responses to Live.Climb.Repeat. – Black Diamond’s Tribute To The Climbing Life

Ah, glorifying the paradoxical dirtbag consumer. How are we supposed to buy their gear if we all quit our jobs? There are so many people crushing while working and contributing to society. Let’s make a hashtag for that, maybe #workhardclimbhard or #idonthaveatrustfund?

I was actually thinking the same thing as I watched this. If all Black Diamond consumers quit their jobs and lived out of their cars, they’d surely go out of business. Unless, of course, they pulled a The North Face and start selling fleeces to people that will never see the North Face of anything.

I don’t think this video is about quitting your job to buy BD gear. It’s about climbing dictating your major life choices (what job you have, where you live, how you contribute to society, and what to spend the little money you have on). I think many of us rather spend our monthly earnings going to a cool destination than on fashionable clothes or a fancy car. Most people who don’t climb may not understand that.

I would have to say it is quite an interesting phenomenon. I’ve been around the world and met a lot of people but I have never met any group like climbers. Their devotion, dedication, obsession with rock climbing intrigues me. I’ve never seen such worship of something in my life, in the business world, tribal people groups, in religious settings… climbers take the cake in my opinion.

I loved the video, I found it inspiring and not about quiting your job. Instead about finding a way to include your obsession in your life. The poeple interviewed were all professional climbers who have reached their goal by making sacrifices. The video was not about the sacrifice but the obession. Word, Black Diamond-

Hey now hey now, I Have lived in a “tricked out” van for going on 8 years now I’m only 25 hardly work but I payed for it all. And what the hell is a trust fund?? Just because a young person has a way cooler house then you have and climbs way more then you do does not mean they have mommy and daddy back home paying for everything, keep being jelous I’m going climbing 😉

I have to agree with the Chuffnugget’s sentiments. There are just so many factors that go into someone’s ability to afford the dirtbag lifestyle that many of us dream about. In general, the white people problems is a pretty fair assessment. I applaud you for your own hard work to buy a van yourself, but I think it is really important for people who claim to be earning their own freedom to think about their inherent advantages. This is not to say that I don’t take advantage of the extra money I have because I didn’t pay for my own healthcare or education or whatever growing up, but I am always leery of justifying my own achievements without thinking about the context in which they happened. Glorifying the dirtbag lifestyle without at least acknowledging that typical homeless people don’t have vans or iphones feels weird, and BD encouraging us to buy sick new gear on top of that feels even weirder…

I understand that this 3 minute glimpse into climber’s obsession doesn’t fully contextualize the cultural/socio-economic advantages bestowed to some (many?) of those who plunge into this world. This is surely something to be recognized and appreciated by all those who benefit. That said, I don’t think BD is being disingenuous in presenting those who’ve allowed this sport/lifestyle to dictate so many of their decisions. That, I felt, was the thrust. Look at the passion these people have, regardless of station, and how it has transformed every aspect of their lives.

Frankly, the dirtbag romanticism is our fault. Maybe it’s unfair to assume, but I think a lot of us aspire to this image but are unwilling to go without the luxury/connection to which we’re accustomed. Hence, we want to feel like John Sherman, but boulder with pads. Climb Half Dome, but do so in a safe fashion. All people at work to imagine we’re Honnolds when we tell them we climb, but work a dabby lowball (ok maybe that’s just me). Climbing –at least for this generation, but maybe always– has a lot of in-built delusion. I mean, think about how much driving/flying climbers take part in, while telling themselves how much care for the environment. Dirtbaggery is similar. Not many of us will become the dirtbags who don’t have a toasty jacket and a meal at night. And that’s not the end of the world…